ARZone Podcast 41: Intersectionality, Internet and Advocacy in a non-Vegan World

ARZone Podcast 41: Intersectionality, Internet and Advocacy in a non-Vegan World

In this episode ARZone admins Carolyn Bailey, Ronnie Lee and Tim Gier talk about how veganism can be more or less difficult for different people depending on how all the various aspects of life intersect. We also talk about how the different needs of each person ought to be considered in our outreach and advocacy. Finally, we talk about the benefits and drawbacks of using the internet for advocacy.

Replies to This Discussion

I think this honest, frank approach to speaking about how veganism is working in our own specific lives, and exploring ways to create more effective outreach and action, however each of us is able (online, organizing groups, tabling, lecturing, demonstrations, cupcake baking), is much needed and something I hope to hear more about from other members.

There is quite the cross-section of philosophers, activists, thinkers, here on ARZone to gain knowledge from and continue to follow the progress of. Maybe a focus on activism would be a new course to take? Some real stories of how others organized and what they do. It is one of those things that is sort of "nothing to it but to do it", but building up a larger and larger resource of tips and advice and materials might be helpful.

I'll say that for myself, online bickering is something I am becoming extremely uninterested in, and is something I am making an effort to turn away from - toward using my time to help animals and doing more vegan outreach. I'm working on doing online press releases for the Vegan Buddies program, and more cat rescue in my own neighborhood and backyard.

...feeding the obligate carnivore free-roaming (dumped and neglected) cats tins of meat byproducts, by the way - I'm definitely not 100% vegan for doing that, am I? I'm going to be humanely trapping and spaying/neutering some of the cats and releasing them back, another not-so-vegan action (altering other animals).

Billy Lovci said:

I think this honest, frank approach to speaking about how veganism is working in our own specific lives, and exploring ways to create more effective outreach and action, however each of us is able (online, organizing groups, tabling, lecturing, demonstrations, cupcake baking), is much needed and something I hope to hear more about from other members.

There is quite the cross-section of philosophers, activists, thinkers, here on ARZone to gain knowledge from and continue to follow the progress of. Maybe a focus on activism would be a new course to take? Some real stories of how others organized and what they do. It is one of those things that is sort of "nothing to it but to do it", but building up a larger and larger resource of tips and advice and materials might be helpful.

I'll say that for myself, online bickering is something I am becoming extremely uninterested in, and is something I am making an effort to turn away from - toward using my time to help animals and doing more vegan outreach. I'm working on doing online press releases for the Vegan Buddies program, and more cat rescue in my own neighborhood and backyard.

I think that online bickering is something that most of us are trying to move away from, Billy. I find it difficult when others unfairly attack people, so I find myself becoming involved with online discussions when that happens, even though I know that it's usually not at all productive.

I think honesty is really helpful too. :)

Billy Lovci said:

I think this honest, frank approach to speaking about how veganism is working in our own specific lives, and exploring ways to create more effective outreach and action, however each of us is able (online, organizing groups, tabling, lecturing, demonstrations, cupcake baking), is much needed and something I hope to hear more about from other members.

There is quite the cross-section of philosophers, activists, thinkers, here on ARZone to gain knowledge from and continue to follow the progress of. Maybe a focus on activism would be a new course to take? Some real stories of how others organized and what they do. It is one of those things that is sort of "nothing to it but to do it", but building up a larger and larger resource of tips and advice and materials might be helpful.

I'll say that for myself, online bickering is something I am becoming extremely uninterested in, and is something I am making an effort to turn away from - toward using my time to help animals and doing more vegan outreach. I'm working on doing online press releases for the Vegan Buddies program, and more cat rescue in my own neighborhood and backyard.

I have a cat who lives with me, and she eats other animals too. The point I was trying to make in the podcast, and I know I often don't make myself as clear as I would like to, was that if another vegan is all-too-ready to criticise me because I am struggling with a teenage child accepting veganism, perhaps it would be better for that person to spend more time trying to understand my position and the position so many others find themselves in, rather than presume I am not committed to living and being vegan, as I encounter problems, rather than making claims of moral purity, disregarding their own flawed lifestyle.

Billy Lovci said:

...feeding the obligate carnivore free-roaming (dumped and neglected) cats tins of meat byproducts, by the way - I'm definitely not 100% vegan for doing that, am I? I'm going to be humanely trapping and spaying/neutering some of the cats and releasing them back, another not-so-vegan action (altering other animals).

Billy Lovci said:

I think this honest, frank approach to speaking about how veganism is working in our own specific lives, and exploring ways to create more effective outreach and action, however each of us is able (online, organizing groups, tabling, lecturing, demonstrations, cupcake baking), is much needed and something I hope to hear more about from other members.

There is quite the cross-section of philosophers, activists, thinkers, here on ARZone to gain knowledge from and continue to follow the progress of. Maybe a focus on activism would be a new course to take? Some real stories of how others organized and what they do. It is one of those things that is sort of "nothing to it but to do it", but building up a larger and larger resource of tips and advice and materials might be helpful.

I'll say that for myself, online bickering is something I am becoming extremely uninterested in, and is something I am making an effort to turn away from - toward using my time to help animals and doing more vegan outreach. I'm working on doing online press releases for the Vegan Buddies program, and more cat rescue in my own neighborhood and backyard.

My point about cats is just that it is another example of compromises vegans must deal with, not everything about being vegan is easy. Purchasing an ultra-expensive, potentially unhealthy product for cats to eat is one way to deal with the issue, but this does not address how the pre-vegan 99% of the world can practically deal with this issue. It takes monitoring the ph levels of the urine of male cats, a lot of money, and the will to seek out these products and plan strategically to keep the supply of food at the needed level since it cannot be purchased just anywhere. How all of this is to be accomplished when feeding feral colonies is beyond my comprehension I have to admit. The issue of feeding cats other animals has of course been covered in ARZone podcasts if anyone reading happens to not be aware, such as in the Lynne Yates interview - http://arzonepodcasts.blogspot.com/2011/11/arzone-podcast-22-vegan-...

Carolyn Bailey said:

I have a cat who lives with me, and she eats other animals too. The point I was trying to make in the podcast, and I know I often don't make myself as clear as I would like to, was that if another vegan is all-too-ready to criticise me because I am struggling with a teenage child accepting veganism, perhaps it would be better for that person to spend more time trying to understand my position and the position so many others find themselves in, rather than presume I am not committed to living and being vegan, as I encounter problems, rather than making claims of moral purity, disregarding their own flawed lifestyle.

Billy Lovci said:

...feeding the obligate carnivore free-roaming (dumped and neglected) cats tins of meat byproducts, by the way - I'm definitely not 100% vegan for doing that, am I? I'm going to be humanely trapping and spaying/neutering some of the cats and releasing them back, another not-so-vegan action (altering other animals).

Billy Lovci said:

I think this honest, frank approach to speaking about how veganism is working in our own specific lives, and exploring ways to create more effective outreach and action, however each of us is able (online, organizing groups, tabling, lecturing, demonstrations, cupcake baking), is much needed and something I hope to hear more about from other members.

There is quite the cross-section of philosophers, activists, thinkers, here on ARZone to gain knowledge from and continue to follow the progress of. Maybe a focus on activism would be a new course to take? Some real stories of how others organized and what they do. It is one of those things that is sort of "nothing to it but to do it", but building up a larger and larger resource of tips and advice and materials might be helpful.

I'll say that for myself, online bickering is something I am becoming extremely uninterested in, and is something I am making an effort to turn away from - toward using my time to help animals and doing more vegan outreach. I'm working on doing online press releases for the Vegan Buddies program, and more cat rescue in my own neighborhood and backyard.

My point about cats is just that it is another example of compromises vegans must deal with, not everything about being vegan is easy. Purchasing an ultra-expensive, potentially unhealthy product for cats to eat is one way to deal with the issue, but this does not address how the pre-vegan 99% of the world can practically deal with this issue. It takes monitoring the ph levels of the urine of male cats, a lot of money, and the will to seek out these products and plan strategically to keep the supply of food at the needed level since it cannot be purchased just anywhere. How all of this is to be accomplished when feeding feral colonies is beyond my comprehension I have to admit. The issue of feeding cats other animals has of course been covered in ARZone podcasts if anyone reading happens to not be aware, such as in the Lynne Yates interview - http://arzonepodcasts.blogspot.com/2011/11/arzone-podcast-22-vegan-...

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